


All the Time in the World

by CarnivalofBrokenDolls (yourrhinestoneeyes)



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Ed missed Oswald, First Kisses, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Reunion, based on that picture, you know the one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-11 22:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10475838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourrhinestoneeyes/pseuds/CarnivalofBrokenDolls
Summary: When Selina tells Ed there is something she needs him to see he never would have guessed just what it would be.





	

Edward entered the main room of the large mansion owned by one Ivy Pepper with slight precaution. He had been caught off guard and rather flustered when Selina had caught him in his office kneeling on the ground sobbing and talking to a person who wasn’t there. He had figured the young girl would call him a psycho, call him crazy, or a freak just like most people in his life had done. Instead the girl had knelt by his side, placed a comforting hand upon his shoulder, and told him in a low whisper that there was something she needed to show him.

In the car on the way to the mansion he had asked her time and time again what it was, but she kept the secret to herself. The only time she spoke was to question him. She asked him about Oswald, she asked him if he loved him, tears welled up in Ed’s eyes as he slowly nodded and managed out a broken ‘yes’. Learning and accepting his love of the man he murdered had been a rough process, when he closed his eyes he could still picture the mangled ghost of said man. He thought of back on the docks when Oswald had reached out to him with his trembling hands, he had just wanted to touch Ed’s face, to feel him one last time before dying, and Ed had denied him that simple wish. 

When they had arrived at Ivy’s home Selina had instructed him to stay put, there were some things she needed to check on before she gave him the all clear to come inside. Ed was confused, he felt on edge, and foolish. It was precisely thirty-three minutes before Selina returned to the car where Ed anxiously waited. She popped her head through the open window of the passenger side and asked him for the second time that day if he regretted killing Oswald. He wanted to be sarcastic or rude with his response to her question, but instead another tear rolled down his reddened cheek and he whispered another ‘yes’.

She nodded, opened the car door holding it for him and then followed the man into the house. 

A paranoid part of him feared this was a set-up, the voice in his head taunted and warned that this was a terrible idea, that they were being lead to their death, but after weeks of being haunted by Oswald’s ghost he found death might be welcome. If he died, then he could see Oswald again and he’d be willing to give his life for that opportunity.

As he entered the large room he noted the vines that decorated the walls curling their way up and across the ceiling, every table, stand, and shelf was decorated with a wide variety of plants. He knew very little about the girl, the woman, but he had heard she had an obsessive passion for plants. As he looked around the room he pondered if she would study to become a botanist or if she would continue her work of drugging men with plant based chemicals and taking what she wanted and what she needed, he smirked to himself thinking about what all of them were willing to do to get what they desired.

His thoughts and attention were pulled from the plant collection when the echo of footsteps filled the room. He felt the presence of Selina standing behind him, he wondered if she was going to try and prevent him from escaping whatever or whoever was coming his way. There was a tension in his body as he awaited the stranger approaching. The uneven click of shoes against the hardwood floor suddenly stopped, Ed’s brow furrowed in confusion wondering what suddenly stopped the person from entering the room. It was the longest pause until the clicking picked up again.

Ed’s breath caught in his throat and for a moment he was sure his heart stopped beating completely when he entered the room.

He watched with careful eyes as Oswald approached him, the smaller man at first looked anywhere except at Ed, but once he was nearer to him he couldn’t help, but look up at who once had been his friend. 

The Riddler looked over him; he noted how his normally gelled hair was only naturally ruffled, but mostly lying flat and his growing fringe fell over his face. Freckles decorated his nose and cheeks, sparkling green eyes stared up at Ed with an apprehensive nature. The suit he wore was nothing like the one he had worn on the day of his death, no this one looked cheap in comparison to the fine materials Penguin was generally accustomed to wearing. 

A smile formed upon Ed’s face as tears once more filled his eyes as he looked at the man before him.

“You’re real” he stated simply, a short shaky laugh following the statement.

Oswald looked lost, confused, but then a form of realization seemed to strike him. His look changed to something different, something Ed couldn’t quite read.

“Hello Edward,” he whispered

The sound of his name being spoken by the man before him was such a pleasant thing to hear. He never thought he’d hear him speak again, not the real him. He never thought he’d be this close to him again, that he was within reach, that he could be alive. There were a million things that Ed had wanted to say to him, to tell him, and to apologize for. He had said about half of those things to the hallucination of Oswald, but now that Oswald was alive and standing before him he found himself absolutely tongue tied. He felt the tears rolling down his cheeks, he noticed the tears filling up Oswald’s eyes causing them to shine even brighter.

“You’re crying” Ed pointed out uselessly.

Oswald chuckled, he did what he could to blink away the tears as he looked away from the taller man for just a second. His breath hitched when Ed placed a hand against his warm freckled cheek, his thumb brushing at the tears that still fell from his eye. Oswald looked back up at Ed, a look of longing in his eyes, with caution he placed his hand over Ed’s.

“Ed…”

He took a step forward until there was hardly a bit of space between the two of them, Ed removed his hand from Oswald’s face. He placed his hands upon the smaller man’s waist, fingers brushing over the rough fabric of his suit. He was touching him, Oswald was real, and he was warm. His skin was soft, his eyes were lively, and his lips were parted as he carefully watched Ed.

“Ed” he repeated his name his voice hardly above a whisper, there was a tremble to his voice.

A sound that sent a shiver up Ed’s spine, he pulled Oswald against him until his small body was pressed firmly against him. He could feel Oswald’s hot breath against the front of his throat, Oswald reached up with shaking hands placing them upon Ed’s biceps his fingers curling against the bright green suit jacket his old friend wore. 

Ed leaned in close, his lips close to the other man’s. 

“Back home when we were on the couch, you wanted to kiss me didn’t you?” Ed asked curiously, brown eyes searching for permission or rejection.

Oswald gave a short slight nod of his head, lips closing then opening as he raked his brain for the ability to form a response.

“Yes”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I was scared, I didn’t believe that you would want to kiss me.” He answered honestly, his cheeks heated as he thought of his own stupidity.

Ed smiled, he could feel Oswald tense beneath his touch. 

If Oswald had been braver, if Ed had caught on faster then so much time could have been saved. Oswald placed a hand against his cheek, fingers wiping away the tears that stained Ed’s face. He turned his head to the side to press a gentle kiss against the palm of Oswald’s hand. A heavy sigh escaped the smaller man’s lips at the warmth of those full lips pressing against his skin.

His breath caught in his throat when those lips pressed against his own, his body tensed and he lost all sense of what one was supposed to do in the situation of being kissed by the one they love. He wrapped his arms around Ed’s shoulders pulling the man down closer to him, against him, his fingers grabbed at the rim of the bowler hat that sat upon Ed’s head, he plucked it off and tossed it to the floor. Ed laughed against his lips, Oswald smiled at him as he carded his fingers through thick brown locks of hair. 

When Ed’s lips pressed against his again he felt more prepared, he closed his eyes and moved his lips against his partner’s in a learning attempt. Ed’s hands slowly slid up his sides and each slow movement made him shiver. 

“I love you Oswald, I love you, I love you” Ed repeated between short little kisses.

The tears began to fall from his eyes once more at hearing the words, he buried his face against Ed’s chest feeling like an absolute idiot. 

Ed kissed the top of his head, he took his face in his hands forcing him to look at him once more.

“Don’t hide from me, I’ve been wanting to see you for months now.”

“You hated me so much”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Oswald. I never should have, all of it was a mistake. I was stupid for all of it, I shouldn’t ha-“

“No, Ed it’s not your fault. It’s okay, I forgive you for what you did. I love you too much to hate you.”

Ed leaned his forehead against his, he let out a shaky breath. 

“You’re real?” 

Oswald’s hands roamed over his skin, through his hair. 

“Yes, I’m real, it’s me Ed. It’s really me, I promise.”

Ed smiled, he felt crazy, no he knew he was crazy. The doctors had been right, Dr. Strange had been right, Gordon, Bullock, Barnes, Mr. Fox, his mother, and his father…..Kristen.

Lips pressed against his drawing him from darkened thoughts.

“Look at me”

He opened his eyes staring into the eyes of the man who he still held in his arms.

“I’m sorry”

“I already forgave you Ed, there’s no need to repeat the apology…. Though if you would like to repeat that part about being in love with me, I don’t believe I could ever tire of hearing that.”

Ed laughed, he kissed him again feeling drawn into the warmth of skin. Oswald was alive, he was warm, soft, and firm; he was there in his arms.

“I love you, you were right about everything you said to me on the docks. I love you.”

Oswald hummed his approval when Ed kissed him again, he smiled against his lover’s lips.

“You’re the love of my life Edward Nygma.”

Ed never considered him to be a first choice and after what transpired between them over the months he felt guilty that this man chose him above all others. Against what he really wanted he made himself pull out of his partner’s embrace, Ed took a step back and rubbed at his eyes with the backs of his hands.

“There’s a lot we need to discuss and I have so many questions and there is so much that I need to tell you.”

How was Oswald alive, where had he been, had he always been here?

Ed needed to tell him about his problems, about the diagnosis that was made when he had been a child, his imaginary friend who looked a lot like him that took over when things got too scary, the blank parts of his memory. 

Oswald took hold of Ed’s hands holding them in his own.

“Absolutely and we will discuss all of that, but according to Selina there you haven’t eaten or slept in days. I think what’s best is you take a relaxing shower, we can eat, you get some rest, and then we can talk. We have all the time in the world my dear.”

Ed nodded, he could use dinner and a rest. He considered asking Oswald if he would share a bed with him, but forced himself to keep that question to himself. It would be too fast and selfish to ask that of him, Ed wasn’t sure why Oswald even wanted him this close, why he was looking at him with such admiration and love.

But he agreed that they did have a lifetime ahead of them to discuss this and much more.


End file.
